Chapter 15 Baoyue Restaurant

It was golden autumn. The sun was shining brightly. Some gauzy clouds floated in the clear and azure sky. That transparent color made people refreshed. This morning, the Master, Leng Qingtang, left the Eastern Depot very early to attend the morning ritual in the Palace. After having breakfast, Gu Yunxi began to clean her room. A gust of autumn wind last night blew down a layer of yellow leaves in the yard. Early in the morning, Sun Bing, the depot worker who served here, cleaned the whole yard with a wicker broom. Gu Yunxi planned to go to the street to buy some orange jam, lotus root starch, and chestnuts. In a few days, it would be the grand Double Ninth Festival in Country of Dayi. She wanted to make some Double Ninth Cakes and Nine-Flavor Soup. Pushing the door open, she saw another layer of fallen leaves in the yard. Autumn was like this. A little wind would blow down many leaves to the ground. No matter how many times she had swept, she couldn't finish all of them. Gu Yunxi was used to doing the chores in Youzhu Garden, so she couldn't bear anything in a mess. Sun Bing went elsewhere to do the cleaning. Unwilling to bother him, she took up the broom and began to sweep from a corner of the yard. Then she gathered the leaves together to a bamboo dustpan, ready to walk out of the Southern Residence and dump them. She met face to face with Xiao Xiaoshen, who was dressed casually and rolled a package under his armpit, looking quite mysterious. Gu Yunxi looked at him, dustpan in hand. He was wearing a dark red shirt with narrow sleeves. The cuffs and pieces of the skirt were embroidered with patterns of auspicious clouds in black silk thread. A broad black belt with auspicious clouds patterns griddled his waist. And the dark red trousers filled in his thin bottom brocade boots. He wore a white, straight-collared, sleeveless robe over his body, and his hair was tied up in a bun with ribbons, bareheaded. Used to seeing him wear official clothes, Gu Yunxi felt he looked much more handsome as he suddenly changed his clothes. The whole person seemed natural and unrestrained. "Brother Xiaoshen, where are you going?" Gu Yunxi wondered. "I bring you another suit of clothes like mine. Put it on quickly!" Xiao Xiaoshen didn't explain anything to her, just taking out the parcel from his oxter and giving it to Gu Yunxi. "What are you doing? I'm going to dump the rubbish!" "Oh! Be quick!" Xiao Xiaoshen grabbed the dustpan from her, threw it to the corner of the yard directly and gave the parcel to her. Gu Yunxi opened it. It was a blue suit of men's clothing. Xiao Xiaoshen then said, "This is my wear. Put it on. It will be suitable for you. At noon Captain Zhao would invite some other captains to lunch. It will be more convenient if you put on this casual wear. Be quick. They are all waiting for you." "But Master hasn't been back..." "Every time he goes to court, he only comes back at noon. That's all right. We can come back as soon as possible. Besides, he told me a few days ago to take you out for a walk!" "All right." Gu Yunxi looked at the clothes and nodded her head, constrained. "Taking a walk outside is also a good choice. I can buy some ingredients back," Gu Yunxi thought. Seeing Gu Yunxi just answer without taking any action, Xiao Xiaoshen felt a little displeased, grumbling, "Alas! Let me make it clear. I give you my clothes because I think you have no other men's clothes except clothes for guards. I don't mean anything else. Besides, this wear is new at all. Someone from my hometown brought it here last year. I wear official clothes all year round. How many times can I change casual clothes?" "You are so long-winded! I haven't said anything. I am just going to change. You wait!" Gu Yunxi made a face at him and turned into the Southern Residence. Soon Gu Yunxi came out of the room. She changed her clothes, which looked obviously too big for her. Xiao Xiaoshen pinched his chin, looked around her repeatedly and shook his head, "Sister Yunxi, you need to eat more!" "Don't talk nonsense. Come and help me!" Gu Yunxi opened her arms, with a look of helplessness for help. Xiao Xiaoshen helped her roll up the cuffs and bent down to help her put the long pants into the boots. Having a look at her again, he felt she looked decent generally except for her own thinness and the big clothes. Gu Yunxi followed Xiao Xiaoshen out of the gate of the Eastern Depot. Zhao Wuji, captain of Squad Three, Ai Qing, captain of Squad One, Bai Qiying, captain of Squad Four, Jiang Xiong, captain of Squad Seven, and Yuan Qian, captain of Squad Ten had gathered together. They were all in casual clothes. Seeing Gu Yunxi and Xiao Xiaoshen, Zhao Wuji, whose face was white, big, and round, smiled like Maitreya Buddha. This man was a man of temperament, fond of making friends. Living in the Eastern Depot these days, Gu Yunxi was quite familiar with him. "Yun Guaner, today let me bring you to a good place for lunch!" "Uncle Zhao, is there anything special about today? Why do you think of inviting us to lunch?" Gu Yunxi smiled at him. "Let me tell you. Today is my birthday. Yesterday my companions let me go when we were gambling, so I won a lot of money. You can regard this money as money for lunch. It's my return to everyone." Captain Zhao was good at getting along with others, and also at calculating. He looked at the people present, turned two solid steel massage balls with one hand, and waved to them with the other, "Now we are all together here. Let's go to Baoyue Restaurant!" Gu Yunxi looked around and asked in surprise, "Uncle Zhao, where are the rest of the captains?" "You know, we need to leave someone to look after the depot. Others can't go because of the business. Let's go first, and come back with something good for them. Go! Go!" As Zhao Wuji made the order, a line of people marched towards Luoyin Street in the north. Luoyin Street was the most prosperous and lively street area in the capital. The street was very wide. On both sides, various shops lined, and plaques, flags tightly clustered. There were also scattered vendors peddling on the roadside. People poured into the street in the hustle and bustle. Now it was still early. They first walked around in the street for a while, accompanying Gu Yunxi to buy what she wanted. Then it turned midday. It was almost time for lunch. At the corner of the street, in the wide triangle area, stood an ornate restaurant. On the front door hung a plaque with two words- Baoyue Restaurant. When one looked at it closer, one could see the carved eaves and verdure as red as the sun, with patterns of floating clouds and auspicious birds on it. The bamboo-green railings were covered with carved rhomboid-shaped windows. Damask curtains hung over the doors and windows. The restaurant was made up of generally three floors. The first floor was for dining tables. The second was for private rooms. And the third floor was for hotel rooms. As soon as they entered the restaurant, its owner came over to greet them. His surname was Gong, and he was in his forties. He was wearing a long robe with patterns of the round character Fu, and a hat of the same color, with a bright yellow brocade border on the brim. His forehead was decorated with a piece of smooth jadeite. Mr. Gong thought these several captains from the Eastern Depot were frequenters of this restaurant. So seeing Zhao Wuji lead other captains here, he approached them hurriedly, smiling. "Captain Zhao, let me extend my warm welcome to you. You seem..." Mr. Gong was astonished as he looked up and down at Zhao Wuji in casual clothes. "I bring my companions to have a drink. There are too many people. Wearing official clothes is too showy." Turning a massage ball and thrusting his plump belly, Zhao Wuji answered him with a smile, "Gong, please arrange a private room for us." Mr. Gong showed some difficulty on his face, "Dear guests, you don't come here at a good time. All the private rooms upstairs were full. How about arranging a quiet place downstairs for you all to have a drink?" "Definitely not!" Zhao Wuji stopped smiling at once, goggling his eyes, "The downstairs is very noisy. How can we talk with each other? Go upstairs and find a clean private room. Drive away all the people in the room. If anything happens, just ask me for help!" "Well..." Mr. Gong felt awkward. Mr. Gong had a look at those people brought by Zhao Wuji. Everyone was captain of the Eastern Depot. How did he, a shopkeeper, dare to offend? After hesitating for a while, Mr. Gong turned from worry to joy, "Please be patient. There is a capacious private room upstairs, with two tables, but it is now occupied by a young man. He is drinking alone in the room. If you can be kind enough to share a room with him, I will ask him whether he can give up one table to make room for us." "All right. All right. That's it! He's alone anyway!" Zhao Wuji waved his hand, "Go quickly! We have important things to do after lunch!" "Yes! Yes! Please go upstairs." Mr. Gong arched his arms, leading Zhao Wuji and other people to the second floor and stopped at the door of a private room to the left of the stairs. The door was closed, and no sound could be heard in the private room. Mr. Gong knocked at the door, hearing a clear voice responding inside, "Who?" Judging from the voice, it must be a young man. "Sorry to disturb you. I am the boss of this restaurant. I have something important to discuss with you. Could you let me in to talk?" "Come in!" He agreed, seemingly after thinking for a while. Mr. Gong only opened a small crack, and his whole body almost squeezed into the room. Gu Yunxi was waiting for him with others. From the private room came a faint sound of conversation. A little later, the young man's voice rose an octave, "You don't need to care how many people drink in this room! What else do you want as I will give you enough money later? Tell your guests to go somewhere else. Get out of here! Don't spoil my good mood!" The door was opened another crack, and Mr. Gong came out in a difficult position. Seeing Zhao Wuji showing a helpless look, he had to make a smiley face, "Please go downstairs, dear guests. I will find a quiet place for you all." "What the fu*k?!" Xiao Xiaoshen lost his temper first even before Zhao Wuji said anything. For this meal, he didn't have breakfast, only to empty his stomach so that he could eat more during lunch, Now it was time for lunch, but he hadn't eaten anything. He was so hungry that he almost fainted. When he heard the young man in the room shouting at them to go away, Xiao Xiaoshen could no longer control his anger and kicked open the door of the room. "Hey! You! Don't be so shameless! You think having money makes you marvelous? I have plenty of money. I will take this room! Get out of here." Xiao Xiaoshen clamored, taking the lead to rush into the room. The other captains also followed him to rush in, swearing. Gu Yunxi, because of her short stature, was pushed to the end of them. She could not see the man's face in the private room, but heard him saying in an angry voice, "Is that what you're doing with so many people?! What if I refuse to make room for you?!" The noise was so loud that people in the other private rooms also opened their doors. Some guests leaned out to see what happened. Mr. Gong kept bowing and scraping, almost begging, "Gentlemen, gentlemen! For my sake, please take it easy! Take it easy!" Gu Yunxi felt the situation was getting worse. They came to the restaurant to have lunch, and after lunch they needed to return to the Eastern Depot. Most importantly, today was Captain Zhao's birthday. They should have been delighted, and there was no need to spoil their happiness with a little bickering. Gu Yunxi squeezed into the private room, running to the front of everyone. When she fixed her eyes on it, she found that it was quite a big room indeed. Two large round tables with ten seats were placed inside, with a large space between them. In addition, on the west side of the private room placed a group of short spun gold Nanmu cabinets and a four-fold screen with pictures of maids on it. There was only one young man in such a large room, sitting at the seat of superiority at the round table by the window. The thing in front of him was a pot of wine, a plate of peanuts, a plate of sliced beef with soy sauce, and a white jade folding fan embedded with golden color. He was dressed in a clean, narrow-sleeved white wear, with a white open-collared sleeveless robe as the surcoat. He was not more than twenty years old, but he was exceedingly handsome. The features of his beautiful face were as clear-cut as sculptures. His white skin reflected a delicate flowing sheen. He had high and clear eyebrows and a sharp nose. His thin lips were quite reddish as if rouged. His black hair hung down at random, only tied up in a bun in the middle of his head with a lunar white ribbon. A windowsill lay open behind him, through which a light breeze was blowing, and through which his flowing hair and its long, thin ribbons were floating together in an ethereal lightness.